No, I’m not talking about how well the new GamePad works or anything similar. I’m talking about the fact that Nintendo (of America, at least) isn’t releasing that innovative new controller as a standalone purchase on the same day as their new console. Wait, what? Yes, indeed… and I think this is some sort of wacky first for a new console launch.

Of course, a bit of official spin cycle counterpoint makes it all better, right?  Well, in my opinion… not really.  On the very different (but related) subject of why there weren’t dual controller games at the NYC press event and aren’t going to be additional GamePads on store shelves at launch, Nintendo of America President and CEO Reggie Fils-Amie noted in a great GamesIndustry.biz interview published yesterday:

” The reason you don’t see games with two GamePads [at this event] is the technical ability to make two GamePads work was delivered to publishers after they started this current round of development. So you’ll see those two GamePad experiences at a later date; when those games are coming, that’s when we’ll make a separate GamePad available.

 

Look at it this way: when we’re preparing for launch, I need to make consoles and I need to make GamePads, and I need to put them together in a box to sell at retail. And if I’m using my inventory assembling GamePads that don’t support any games in the marketplace, all I’m doing is reducing my available inventory to sell on launch day.”

Really? Argh. You had me at hello, Reggie (yep, I’ve already pre-ordered a Wii U). But then you hit me on the head and tried to toss me in the trunk after taking my wallet. Ouch. That’s not how it’s supposed to work with a new console – particularly one that’s so important and innovative…

Sure, that explanation works wonders if you happen to live in a perfect world where everything works flawlessly out of the box, no one has any sort of clumsiness (intentional or otherwise) and we all have well-padded floors to gently place our new toys on as soft angelic music drifts from the heavens. Er, maybe that’s how it is in Nintendoland, but in the real world, a second controller as a mere replacement device JUST. IN CASE. is a must. It’s been that way since the the console era began (save for standalone Pong variants or other home arcade game units, The Coleco Telstar and a handful of other ancient systems).

I’ll be lazy here and repost a bit of what I noted in another GamesIndustry post about Nintendo of America’s lack of peripheral vision (oh, he’s starting with the puns again):
The lack of standalone GamePads as launch irks me to no end and is a HUGE mistake from any perspective. I know of a few people who won’t be buying the console at all until they can buy extra controllers because they have young kids who (like all kids) tend to drop stuff in the heat of play.  If the Wii U becomes one of those hard to get items like the Wii was during its launch and into the holiday season (and beyond in some areas), quite a lot of people who may have wanted a Wii U might hold off until they know they can buy a backup controller.

You KNOW that someone WILL break their pad within the first week of the launch, period. Even if it comes with three wrist straps, a warning on every side (and inside) the box, in the manual AND five pre-game video ads starring Mario and company begging users to please, PLEASE be careful… someone’s going to drop, throw (accidentally) sit on, let the dog chew when they get up to take a pee break, spill liquid on or otherwise damage their GamePad.

Trust me, there will be internet videos of some of this controller mishap crap. No doubt. Just you wait.

What then? With NO backup plan or way to play some games save to go back to the store and rob someone of their system just for the GamePad, look at importing a GamePad from territories where they’re available (NOA won’t make a dime on those sales, of course) or hit up eBay where some enterprising chap or chapette who pre-ordered just to sell the thing will rake in maybe half of what they paid just for the peripheral, I can see a LOT of irate parents and gamers on the rampage to Redmond.

Unless there’s a third-party pad… which I don’t see happening at this point. I have no reason why this is being done (sorry, Reggie, your excuse is a bit weak for such an important console NOT to have a replacement for one of its most important parts made available on day one) except to GUESS that Nintendo knows the GamePad is going to be expensive to replace no matter how they spin it.

Crazy question here: are they thinking of using some profit from the console sales to drive the price down when that pad DOES become available or are they just overconfident and are thinking NO ONE will bust their GamePad in however long a period of time it takes to get replacements on the market. If they don’t come up with a solution and FAST, it’s going to be a crappy holiday season for some families.

Hell, that and us germophobes who want their own controllers are out of luck, which sucks because I’m kind of goofy about sharing my controller, particularly one that relies so much on fingers all over the screen. I can get over this easily enough as I tend to game solo. But I can see a few feuds brewing over sticky mitts on that shiny (and pricey) pad… Eww.